blackberry jalapeño margaritas

May 14, 2012

I finally – 100% for real this time – put my winter coats into storage. Therefore I thought it was time to celebrate the official start of spring by having a margarita. Nothing says the start of warm weather like tequila.

We will get to the margs but first I am also going to blow your mind at the alliteration that was going on in my life over the weekend.

This week marked me being one year older and instead of celebrating with a cake I threw a Brown (sugar) Biscuit, Bacon, Bloody (mary) Bar Birthday Brunch.

I don’t call this Butter Me Up Brooklyn for nothing.

A bloody mary bar is just about the best way to have a party. Make a few pitchers of mix the night before, dig out your ice bucket and set out little bowls filled with toppings like cheese cubes, bacon, tiny pickles, olives, and some sort of spice purchased in a Mexican gas station last summer.

First step: set up a little bar. Glasses, ice – a tiny spoon that snuck its way into the shot – and you are good to go.

Put some picks in the middle of a platter and surround it with bits of awesome. The cheese cubes were a homage to my friend who hails from Wisconsin (lovingly known as ‘Sconnie). I trust her on all matters related to cheese.

Last but not least, no brunch would be complete without the Best donuts around. Which just so happen to be from Peter Pan Bakery in Greenpoint.

So, yeah, that happened.

I also made Bourbon Black (cocoa) Brownies. They didn’t get a chance to shine behind the camera but were adapted from their boozy red wine chocolate fudge cousins. Swap bourbon for wine, black cocoa for unsweetened cocoa, and a little sprinkle of flaky salt. They are party superstars.

Finally, I give you margaritas.

Fresh blackberries make for a dang pretty cocktail. Jalapeños sass it up. Sweet and spicy.

Using agave is a margarita shortcut. Most ratios call for triple sec. I say when the mood strikes for a marg and you don’t have triple sec, agave will work just fine.

Plus tequila is made from the blue agave plant. This means that they are practically the same thing and are pretty much made for each other.

Jalapeños are the best part of this cocktail.

They infuse a hit of spice into every sip. Muddle a slice (or two!) with blackberries and a lime. Shake in some agave and tequila. Glam up your happy hour.

The idea of having a constant triple sec supply in my drinks cupboard would obviously bring world peace…but I love how you’ve used agave instead! I’m imagining these with other chilli peppers…pimento or maybe even serrano.

Looks like a great margarita recipe. Here’s an idea for you, try substituting a homemade blackberry simple syrup in place of the agave syrup and the fresh black berries. You can freeze the extra simple syrup so you can have this great drink anytime of the year.

These look and sound AMAZING! I love using agave in place of triple sec in margis. I will be giving these a try when blackberries begin showing up! The brownies sound awesome, too, and I love those big cubes of ice – so pretty!